Steve Williams, leader of 125,000 frontline officers, hinted unacceptable
behaviour by colleagues may have been a factor in his predecessor's early
death

The chairman of the Police Federation said he was “gratuitously and cruelly bullied and humiliated” by colleagues as he tried to push through reforms of the organisation, it has emerged.

Steve Williams said in a letter, disclosed for the first time, that some of the treatment he had received from fellow leaders of the organisation had been “simply wrong”.

An inquiry by MPs was also told that bullying by members of the Police Federation may have been a factor in the early death of the federation’s former chairman, Paul McKeever, who suffered a fatal collapse aged 57 in January last year just weeks before he was due to retire.

Mr Williams resigned on Monday after facing opposition over plans to reform the federation, which has come under widespread criticism for its role in the Plebgate row.

A damningindependent reviewled by former Whitehall mandarin Sir David Normington revealed significant concerns about the way the organisation operated and said millions of pounds were held in unaccounted reserves.

Mr Williams’ internal letter said: “We all saw what happened to our friend and colleague Paul McKeever and with a young family I do not intend the same thing [to] happen to me.

“Whilst accepting emotions are running high in the advent of inevitable change, at times I have genuinely felt that I have been gratuitously and cruelly bullied and humiliated.

“This type of conduct is one of the very things that we as police officers should seek to eradicate from the Police Federation and why the independent review needs to be embraced.”

On Monday Mr Williams and the federation’s general secretary Ian Rennie both said they would retire in late May after “a turbulent period” for the organisation.

The disclosure came as Theresa May, the Home Secretary, expressed her concern at reports of a bullying culture in the federation, which represents 125,000 frontline police officers in England and Wales.

After committee chairman Keith Vaz MP read extracts of Mr Williams’ at the Commons’ home affairs select committee, the Home Secretary said: “I’m concerned about the sort of language that has been quoted to me.”

She urged the federation to carry through the reforms recommended by Sir David, who also gave evidence to the Commons committee.

The former top civil servant said he was aware that Mr Williams had come under “sustained attack” from elements within the federation’s governing body because of his reform agenda.

“This is a very dangerous moment for the federation. It could be that the resignations of these two people will allow the people who want to block reform to be elected,” he said.

Martin Mordecai, the federation’s national treasurer, revealed that three branches - Derbyshire, Leicestershire and North Yorkshire - had refused his request to reveal the contents of their unpublished “number two accounts”.

In total the organisation had assets of more than £107 million including just under £22 million cash, he told MPs.